Electrical connecter



Jun@ E6, H93. WA J. sHl-:ARER

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER INVENTOR c/ Jf/E/qleE/e.

du. INI `Fh.

Filed June 22, 1932 Patented June 18, 1935 STATES PATENT orties 2,005,441 ELECTRICAL- CONNECTER William J. Shearer, Elmhurst,'N. Y.

Application June 22, 1932, Serial No. 618,630

' 1 claim. (ci. ris- 330) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electrical connecters and although the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a so-called wall receptacle and plug, certain of the important features thereof are adaptable to other types of electrical connecters as well.

It is the object of the invention to improve the construction and mode of operation of devices of this character and to at all times, insure good electrical connections between the several parts thereof.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a novel construction whereby the plug' element is movable with respect to the receptacle element for the purpose of establishing or breaking an electric circuit instead of being removable therefrom as is the common practice.

I have found by actual experience with the more common type of receptacle and plug connecter, i. e., those in which the plug is bodily removable from the receptacle in order to break the electric circuit, the plug is quite often subjected during use to abuses which distort various parts thereof, particularly the contact pins and renders them highly unsatisfactory for use.

It is a further feature of the present invention, so to construct the plug element that it is not subjected to any abuse during use thus avoiding the disadvantages of the common type of connecter.

A further feature of the invention resides inV a novel form of contact pin whereby a good electrical contact is assured at all times.

With the above and other objects in view references will be had to the accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is a View in elevation of a plug constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional View thereof taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view of a wall receptacle constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Figure- 3 showing the receptacle and plug in their assembled relation with the parts of the plug in circuit making position.

Figure 5 is a detailed view on an enlarged scale illustrating the construction of one of the contact pins,

Figure 6 is a detail sectional View taken on the line G-G of Figure 5, and;

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view illustrating the parts of the contact pins in circuit making position.

Referring to the drawing by reference character the reference numeral I0 designates a receptacle which in the present instance is illustrated 5 as a wall socket. It may comprise a body portion ll of suitable insulating material such as porcelain enclosed in a suitable housing l2 and it may be provided with any desired number of recesses i3 each having contact plates it. The recesses i3 and contact plates lli will be arranged in pairs and the contact plates are to be connected to a suitable source of electric current supply in any manner not herein illustrated. w

The plug element is more clearly illustrated in 15 Figure 2, and it comprises a housing i5 of porcelain or any suitable insulating material. The housing i5 has a removable cover i6 which in the present instance is shown as threaded in the open side of the housing as at il. The cover it has an opening i8 and operating lugs i9 by means of which the cover may be rotated to remove the same or replace it to open or close the housing i5.

The opposite wall of the housing carries two contact pins i9'. Each of these contact pins as 25 illustrated in Figure 5 comprises two spring fingers 2li and 2i. These spring contact fingers 2t! and 2| may be secured to the Wall 22 of the housing in any desired manner, but are preferably molded therein as indicated at 23. The refer- 30 encenumeral 24 designates an insulating matei rial preferably fibre which is mounted upon the interior of the housing and extends to a point between the spring contact fingers terminating adjacent their secured end as indicated by the reference numeral 25. The spring finger 2li of.' each contact pin is depressed or otherwise formed with a cam surface 2l which is disposed inwardly of the space between the spring fingers 2t and 2l as best illustrated in Figures 2 and 5. These spring fingers 20 and 2l are of such' proportions that the free ends thereof will be in proper position to engage the contact plates I4 heretofore mentioned when the fingers are spread or exed thus to complete the electrical connection be- 45" tween `the contact nger 20 and its associated contact plate I4.

Means is provided for spreading the contact fingers and this means consists of prongs or the like 30 carried by a member 3l which is recipro- 50 cally mounted in the housing I5, and which has an operating handle 32 extending through the opening i8 heretofore mentioned. The handle 32 is vhollow and a suitable conductor 33 may be passed therethrough and its terminals connected 55 to the prongs 30 by means of screws or the like 35 which latter also serve to secure the prongs 30 to the member 3|. I'he prongs 3B extend toa point between the bre insulating members 24 when the member 3| is in the position illustrated in Figure 2 but are long enough to extend substantially to the end of the contact pins I9 when the member 3| and the handle 32 are in the position shown in Figure 4.

The device operates in the following manner:

The receptacle l ismounted in a wall, floor or other suitable supporting element. The housing l5 is preferably permanently carried during use by the receptacle by insertion of the contact pins I9' into the recesses I3 as illustrated in Figure 4. 'I'he construction of the parts will be such that suiiicient friction will result between the contact pins I9' and the recesses to hold the housing in the position in which it is shown in Figure 4.

With the member 3| in the position in which `it is shown with respect to the housing in Figure 2 the circuit will be broken. When, however, it is desired to complete the circuit the handle member 32 is moved to the position in which it is shown in Figure 4. This operation moves the prongsASil through the insulating members 24 to a point where they engage the cam surfaces 21 of the members 20 of the contact pins. This action iiexes the members 20 of the contact pins into engagement with their respective contact plates I4 to complete an electrical circuit between the contact plates I4 and the members 20 of the contact pins i9. When it is desired to break this circuit the handle member 32 is merely withdrawn to the position in which it is shown in Figure 2, which action positions the prongs aobefmeen the nbre insmating members 24 and out of contact with the members zllthus Y interrupting the circuit.

From the foregoing-it is apparent that under ordinary operating conditions the plug member is not removed with respect to the receptacle and therefore these prongs -30 as well as the contact pins I9 are not, under ordinary condi-'- tions of use, likely to become damaged as is the' case with plug and receptacle 'connecters as Qrdinarily constructed.

While the invention has been herein iilustrat-l ceptacle, recesses therein, contact plates mounted in said recesses, a plug carried by said receptacle, contact pins carried by said plug and extending into said recesses but out of engagement with said contact plates, said contact pins each comprising two resilient members, and means for iiexing one of said resilient members into engagement with its respective contact plate, said last mentioned means including a cam surface formed on one of the resilient members constituting the contact pins and means carried by the plug and movable into engagement with said cam surface to flex the member carrying said cam surface into electrical contact with its respective contact plate in the receptacle.

WILLIAM J. SI-IEARER. 

